The “KETO” Diet (GOOD OR BAD)

What’s up, guys? Jeff Cavaliere, ATHLEANX.com. Today we’re going to tread in dangerous waters,
here. We’re going to talk about diets. We’re going to talk about Keto dieting because
right now I get a lot of questions, and people want to know “What does Jeff think about Keto
dieting?” I always wonder whether it’s that they actually
care about what I think, or they’re just looking, and hoping that I’ll agree with Keto dieting. But you might be surprised by the end of the
video because I’m not going to come out here and all out rip Keto dieting because for me,
at the end of the day, if something works for somebody, and it helps them to get in
shape – long term, though. That’s my non-negotiable. It’s got to work for you long term. Then I’m happy. The point of this whole channel was to make
sure that you guys are getting information to help you get fit, to help you get healthier,
to help you get stronger. So when we talk about ketogenic dieting the
first thing I want to do is clarify what it is because some people don’t really know exactly
what it means. You’ve heard a lot about it, but you don’t
know exactly what it means. It means, basically, shifting around your
macronutrients pretty substantially. Pretty much, differently from the way a lot
of us eat. That is: going to a very high fat diet. About 80% of your total calories intake in
a day is coming from fat, and fat sources. Then really, really, really minimizing your
carbohydrate intake down to almost nothing. Less than 5% of your total daily calories
coming in from green, leafy vegetables. None of the more traditional rice, beans,
potatoes, fruits, breads, sweets, pasta; none of that stuff. That’s all out. Then, filling in the gap – about 15%-20%
of your diet – from protein. So what that leaves us is a diet that’s rich
in meat and fish, heavy creams, seeds, oils, nuts, eggs; that’s what you can eat. So whenever I talk about diets the one thing
I try to always do is never say “This is the only way to do it.” A lot of people right now that are espousing
the benefits of ketogenic dieting are saying “This is the only way to be, and this is the
healthies way to be, and this is the only thing.” That’s total bullshit because guys, I have
never done a day of ketogenic dieting in my entire life and I can stand up here every,
single day for you guys in the same condition, the same shape, and I’ve never done that. So to say that’s the ‘only’ way to do it is
not true. You guys know that. There are a lot of different ways that people
can lose weight, and lose body fat. So the first thing you have to consider is:
what is it that you’re trying to accomplish? Are you trying to do something short term? Because if you are, if you’re trying to get
some short term weight loss – not necessarily the fat loss – ketogenic dieting could be
your savior. If you’re trying to get ready for something,
some wedding, or you’ve got to go into a contest, or whatever you’re doing; it could be a savior
for you because it’s going to allow for rapid weight loss. I say ‘weight loss’, not fat loss, because
there’s a difference. When you lose weight via ketogenic dieting
in a very short period of time, you have to understand that what you’re doing is, you’re
depleting your body of its stored glycogen. Store glycogen is also store water. You will lose a lot of body water when you
go on a ketogenic diet, in a short period of time. So your weight loss can be substantial. A lot of weight in a short period of time. However, that has its downsides. When it comes to performance, your glycogen
is a source of fuel for your muscles and if you deplete all of your glycogen the intensity
levels of your workouts are going to suffer. Your cortisol ratios will also, likely, play
off that. If you try to attempt to workout hard when
the tank is pretty much depleted, your cortisol stress levels will go up, too. That’s not a good thing for long term muscle
gain. So people will talk about the inability to
gain a lot of muscle. I’m not just talking about preserving it either. I’m talking about, they want to gain muscle. Really what we’re talking about is ‘can you
even preserve your muscle on a ketogenic diet’. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of long term
research out there. I read one article that basically said there
are 11 studies done in a six month duration specifically on athletes, and their ability
to train – retain muscle, not even gain muscle – retain their muscle during that
period of time, and only three of them showed their ability to do so, while eight did not. So that’s still not even talking about longer
term than that. So back to your goals. If you are looking for something long term,
it had better be sustainable. I have a problem with macronutrient exclusion
diets. I don’t care if it’s fat exclusion. I don’t care if it’s carbohydrate exclusion. I don’t care what your tactic is. Exclusionary diets don’t really do so well
and they earn the word ‘diet’ because they do not become long term solutions. And I hear you. I know you’re going to write on the video
“I’ve been keto dieting for five years, for the last 14 months, I’ve been doing everything
I’m supposed to do and I still – no problems for me.” That’s good, and you are the exception to
the rule. As I said in the beginning of the video; that’s
a good thing. Ultimately, find what’s going to work for
you. But if you can’t stick to it then I have a
problem with it. If you can’t imagine a life where – I just
threw the word ‘five years’ out there – if you can’t imagine a life where five years
from now – don’t talked to me about even a year from now – we’re in a much longer
game here on this channel. I talk about a much longer term that we’re
looking for here. If you can think that five years from now
you’re still going to be able to do that, then go for it. Go for it! Because there are some benefits. There are definitely some benefits to that. The most importantly benefit is: it finally
worked for you. I will add another caveat here, too. People will sometimes say “I’ve never felt
better than when I was on a keto diet. So, Jeff, what you’re talking about in terms
of ‘declining energy levels’, and ‘not enough intensity in my workouts’; not true at all. I’ve got more.” Guys, think about where you’re usually coming
from if you’ve entered the phase where you already know that you need a diet. You’re probably dramatically overweight. You already have low energy because of your
weight issues. You need a solution. Anything you would have done at that point
– not necessarily keto – but anything you would have done to eat healthier would
have allowed you to start feeling better, to have more energy. So you can’t necessarily equate the two. Any type of diet, at that point, that helps
you to lose weight, you probably would have attached yourself to as “Hey, man! I feel so much better because I’m doing this.” But again, that doesn’t detract from keto. It doesn’t. It’s just that you’ve got to make sure you’re
keeping your eyes open that it could have been from the overall weight loss. At the end of the day, guys, I’m someone that
espouses eating all the nutrients. I think you should eat carbohydrates, I think
you should eat protein, I think you should eat fats, I don’t think you should exclude
any of them. I think this opens up a lot more possibilities
to the foods that you can eat. I think you should still make sure that you’re
getting enough fiber, because in a ketogenic diet you’re not getting enough fiber in your
diet, and that could lead to other issues. But it becomes, more importantly, more sustainable. The less that we, as humans, are restricted,
the more free we feel; the better we tend to do with things. Here, when it comes to our nutrition, I think
you need to start getting a better education in the long run about how to eat healthier. Yes, you can have all the macronutrients,
but choose the right ones. Choose the right versions of those. Make sure you’re eating healthier food options
and that’s going to help you sustain low body fat levels without having to cut out
anything. But if you can do it, and it’s working for
you guys; I truly, truly believe you should keep doing it. Keep doing it. There are other health benefits from it. Especially in neurological diseases. They’re finding, in some studies, that really
unlocks some potential there too, and that’s a great thing. All right, guys. Again, if you’re looking for our nutrition
plan – I literally put out the one that I follow, the one that I believe is sustainable
– I put it out step by step in our ATHLEANX training program. That’s over at ATHLEANX.com, in our ATHLEANX
training systems. In the meantime, if you have other questions,
if you want me to cover other things make sure you leave your comments below. And always subscribe to the videos, guys. If you miss one you’re going to hate yourself. So you’re going to want to make sure you turn
on your notifications and also watch our latest video. We’re always trying to bring you the best
content we can here, and cover the things you want to see. All right, guys. See you soon.

I believe in cycling what you eat. I don’t agree with eating all types of food all the time , you should bounce in and out of keto. Our bodies where designed to sustain life by confusing our bodies. Just like working out , muscle confusion. Well apply the same principles to life! Don’t let your body get into a metabolic habit.

Hey sir jeff im a beginner at building muscles and i see your vids useful at best (but i didnt get to watch others much) but is Low carb diet can still be helpful for me to build muscles?? Or should i go to a normal diet ??

I done keto lost 3 2/1 stone ' then tried to stay on it and build muscle ' I couldn't ' had to go on the carbs and protein ' to stack up ' ' keto worked to lose my body fat ' it done nothing to build muscle

I've been watching Jeff for a long time. I follow his training program. I have mad respect for him. His views on KETO long term are a little off. There are body builders making great gains on KETO. It's an easy diet because you can have all the fat you want. Once your body adapts to high fat and low carbs your energy levels are way higher. Humans aren't meant to eat a lot of carbs. We burn fat much easier than we do carbs. Our brains work better with a high fat diet. Cholesterol is lower on a high fat diet. Carbs are needed to clog arteries. Without carbs we burn fat and cholesterol won't collect in the arteries. It's not a fad diet. It's a better diet.

People from countries that consume a lot of fats and low carbs have less risk of heart disease. They also live longer than most Americans and they look younger longer. Cant argue with proven results. And you can build muscle on KETO if you eat the right fats and get adequate protein. The more protein you eat the more fat you need. Simple.

I did a modified Keto,,,results? My BP dropped from 145/90 to 110/70…..I lost 12 pounds around my middle…..My fasting glucose dropped from 95 to 70. Basically it took me out of metabolic syndrome. Right now I’m 5’10” 195 and lean….it works. Btw…your body does not need carbs or sugars….Your body creates it’s own in a process called gluconeogenesis.

Keto is good on short termLong term is beneficial for health but not for multi functional bio mechanics of a human body.However if you supercompensate By filling in with carbs every 1 or 2 weeks you can make tons of progress

Thanks for giving second opinion about keto, I'm about to convert but hesitate because of the food selections. It's hard to stick to that for long term. So far I've been doing caloric deficit 1500 calories a day and I like it, feel so MUCH better than when I eat as I please. I just feel bad for the chicken that I eat 150-200gr a day.

There are studies that price muscle gain on Leto diet , also BHB is the best muscle keeper, I am a pro athlete and I have never lost any strength while Keto,in fact , I have never felt better ! I can easily work out fasted with no cravings while Leto versus low carb or carb diet I can barely fast and I suffer , I have been a pro Athlete for over 30 years !! I have done Alonso’s everything !!! Anyways , I do love your channel specially because I do have an MD in kinesiology and you are one of the few Chanels if not the only one that really explain kinesiology , exercise mechanics etc. Your channel is great !!!!! Keep it up , you are , to me, amazing !!!!

I've been cutting carbs and sugar while burning around 300-500 calories during daily workouts, I lost around 18 Kg in 8 months.Didn't reach ketosis, but cutting the carbs definitely helped.The trick is also to stop and switch on/off of the diet periodically. Like 2-3 months of keto and 2-3 months easing and balancing your food.

I think you missed the entire point of the Keto diet, it's not necessarily to look ripped but more as a lifestyle to combat degenerative diseases, diabetes, heart disease, live longer and stronger. I'm 57, I look like you physically, but I don't take PED's to gain Youtube subscriptions. I take Keto.

I find a more balanced Keto with Intermittent Fasting works for me. The Keto he is talking about is for epileptics. The one for most people is 50% fat 30 – 40% protein 10 – 20 % carbs is good. More very low carb not pure keto.

Keytones are like E85, glycogen is like regular 91 octane fuel. Once you are adapted to it you can train even harder but it takes time to adapt, that's why people say they can't train with intensity on Keto

Dear Jeff, I use to be 280 pounds and drop alot of weight with clean eating. The idea of Keto has alot of my friends confused and you published incredible points here. Would you mind if I used some of your points in an upcoming video about KETO? I also read Ketosis can produce Acetones which cause bad breath and make your urine smell. To me it's all about calories in vs calories out, but you've made excellent points.

Intermittent fasting worked for me ketos a step to far, although my diet now consists of allot more veg Almond milk and Almond flour etc stevia instead of sugar and only good carbs, NO potatoes or bread. i just found i wasn't energized enough on keto to work out hard.

I think this is a more complex issue than one might believe, the problem stems from the education given in the past when the knowledge of various researches still could not support certain results.the most serious problem is that people always think about diets not about healthy lifestyle so look for faster and easier solutions without too much effort, this is the ketogenic one. I am a martial arts instructor and it works like that in that area, people think of becoming bruce lee in short courses working less _O_o

I have had my experience on the ketogenic diet, I try to briefly explain how I know about it.

years ago I worked for a company that dealt with pest control and I traveled a lot, since I was a sportsman I tried to follow the correct diet, but that job without fixed hours, heavy driving hours without even finding restaurants open for lunch or dinner they had changed my whole lifestyle.I began to have a lot of stress pathologies, swollen belly, hemorrhoids, a drastic increase in weight from a 67kg ectomorph to reach 85kg in 2 years is serious and I had never stopped training, I felt I was sick, I woke up tired, pissed off !! I had never had any problems with any food in the past.he begins to have problems with neck pain, but the problem was not the pain in his head, but what caused me … I was delirious, I swear it led me to rave and if it happened to me in the car I would go back to work, from 1 day a week to 5! I wanted to kill myself.I changed a lot of physicians who were osteopaths and all argued that it was my martial arts training and driving in the car that brought me into that situation, it was only taking painkillers or cortisone stings that I never did.

fate wanted me to lose my job, the contract was over and there was no renewal, from the next day I started studying every book on science, biology, fitness books, many videos and I already had a good knowledge of the body humanbut I was not organized as a bodibuldier, so I began to regulate my diet, caloric deficit / integral carbohydrates and no longer refined / via added sugars and via sweet.my diet was targeted at 40/40/20 calories if I'm not mistakenI did cardio and weight training every other day and in 3 months I lost12kgI felt better, I don't deny it very strongly, lightly, but every now and then I felt pain and I thought it was a food to cause it, I discarded it but it came back … 5 times a week I returned 1 every 2 months. already a nice profit !!!!I began to notice that in the days that I ate pchi carbohydrates (yazio use on the iphone) and fatter I was lighter and stronger .. I did not mind but he recapitulated several times and also added a sweet taste to my solitary O_O but if I didn't eat no sweet as it was possible? I thought it was the toothpaste so for a day I didn't brush my teeth and didn't change!discover the ketogenic from then on !! I was afraid, I had tried it and I had 10 days of mental and physical oddities but then it passed.

honestly I can't say if I am in ketogenic or not, but I still eat more fat, but I did not completely eliminate carbohydrates, I eat a fruit if I don't have stevia I use brown sugar in coffeesometimes 1/2 a week mango basmati rice, but since when high fat proteins and medium carbohydrates are around 50 / 100g I have no problems .. I train 3/4 times a week and I don't know if I am in ketogenicI can only say that I'm used to it. I try to play with macronutrients without wrapping my brain too much, if I get up the fats I keep the carbos low (budget)

a healthy person who has always had a specific diet cannot think of changing it after 30/40.he will only be able to make adjustments, but the body needs adaptation.then it also depends on how much you were addicted to sugar, and alcohol, for example, I didn't eat so many desserts but refined foods like pizza, pasta and bread (I'm Italian)those who switch to a ketogenic just to lose weight is stupidespecially if you have had a life based on these junk foods.

I strongly believe that every person must have a non-sedentary lifestyle, but that he is always on the move and that he has muscular activity, if this is lacking the diet based on refined carbohydrates etc. is suidicioglycogen reserves will always be full and always a strong production of insulin in the body

which is different for those who train.so people just have to think about lifestyle, that diet actually means this. don't look for loopholes.

Nothing but truth being spoken here. The only thing I cannot fully agree with is an insistence of having fibre in the diet. They have their benefits as well as their downsides. Fibers in fruit, for instance, appear be related to a low GI despite relatively high GL. On the other hand, excluding fibre from an otherwise high quality diet will not get you into trouble. Most carnivores can vouch for this. From what I've learned, high fibre (low quality) diets can actually damage the microbiome in the long run. Personally I love having an apple 30 minutes before a heavy lifting sesh and my workouts have improved greatly since no longer being afraid of carbs. Get some.

Keto is about more than just loosing weight and getting gains though. There are people curing diabetes and halting heart disease with keto. It is vital to do the keto diet if you have any form of metabolic disease which a staggering 47 million Americans have! Granted, Probably not many Athlean-X subscribers, but almost everyone else.

keto powerlifter here, been struggling with binge and was obese, now im literally shredded to shits, veins on abs, cuts and striations on chest, gaining strenght. already a year in and never going back. i just love the keto life style.Will prep for a bodybuilsing/physique show aswell

Oh gosh, true keto is LOADED with fiber, tons of veg. Pre-diabetic, insulin resistant, energy slumps, all alleviated with minimal protein, on the ketogenic diet. This channel is definitely more for athletes and heavy lifters as oppose to middle aged women with health issues. BUT, I whole heartedly agree that consistency is key and what works for one, might not work for another. Carbs are totally utilized and sucked up with the kinds of exercise you guys do (use to in my younger days). However, someone who is sidelined from health issues, definitely can benefit from keto.

But keto does burn fat not just weight. Ketosis:burning fat for fuel. I went from 270 to 175 in less then 10 months. Without any workout regimen. And I didnt lose much muscle at all. (My picture is proof) just curious what you think?

I'll just preface this by saying I'm morbidly obese. I've lost about 30 pounds already and my goal is to lose about 200 more.

I started about a month and a half ago. First, I cut out sugary sodas and fast food. After about two weeks I started working out at home just doing bodyweight exercises and walking for 30 minutes on my days off (I'm a cook so I'm constantly on my feet and walking at work). After another two weeks I cut my caloric intake to 2000 a day and started 16/8 intermittent fasting. And finally, a week ago, I started doing the Keto diet.

For me, the biggest thing I'm worried about right now is burning as much fat as possible. My goal for right now is to lose about 100 more pounds using Keto. Depending on how I feel at that time I may stick with it for longer. I don't plan for Keto to be my lifestyle because I plan to start building muscle at some point to fill in what will eventually be loose skin.

For me the 16/8 intermittent fasting, keeping my 2000 calorie a day limit, and working out everday is the lifestyle I will stick with for the rest of my life.

I do keto, seems to work for me specifically. Here's my experience.I use it to limit my daily caloric intake, since I feel less hungry on a high fat diet I can easily skip one or two meals in a day. So far, this seems very effective as I rarely make it over 2000kcal without issue. I do take care of my fiber intake, by eating enough vegetables as long as they aren't sweet. Occasionally eat an apple (I know, it's not keto, but I don't care).The biggest con for me is indeed the glycogen problem, exactly as Jeff pointed out. Which shows up in the gym when using weights. I basically just feel tired. I'm still experimenting with eating "a lot" of carbs occasionally (like 150-200 grams of rice), like once or twice a month. So far, this does seem to help, but only tested it short term.

Did you say exclusionary diets….keto isn't. Just cut down on ther carbs especially from refined sources…. and sugar and the products with added sugar. Also you did we don't get enough fiber on a keto diet but clean keto is your plate being mostly vegetables and then protein and some carbs. So plenty fiber. I must say before keto I never had the energy to work out but after keto im working out a lot.. that's how I found your channel so I can get workout tips. So thank keto for all my likes and subscription

The one thing all the diets have in common is cutting refined sugars and processed foods.. did keto for 6 years and I recently quit due to nutrient depletion. I still don’t eat refined sugars or wheat, it feel and look way better since adding fruits, potatoes and even bananas back in… the key is balance as you stated. Keto is no bueno long term and I did it religiously for 6 years with not one cheat meal. It’s good cause it got me off processed foods…

I've been on the keto diet for 3 weeks and lost 9lbs without even exercising once, due to a very hectic period in my life. Also i have been on tablet's for acid reflux for year's and before keto, if i missed taking my tablet's for 3 days or so I'd get awful heart burn but since starting keto and cutting way down on the carbs and sugar's I've not needed to take a single pill and over 3 weeks later, I've not had a single bout of heart burn occur…. Amazing😮👍 On the down side though, your body will lose sodium much more than normal as you produce ketones from your liver and your blood sugar levels can drop too, causing fatigue and headaches. So make sure you replace salts you lose, eat regularly and stay hydrated😉👌 Personally i will stay on keto until i reach my weight loss goals and then go back to a reduced carb well balanced nutrition plan, as i miss eating some of my old favourite foods. For me it is not a long term plan but i can definitely confirm it gets results with losing weight. Oh and it's not cheap either lol😂 💷 💷😢

All these fucking health experts are scared to cut carbs so they bash keto. You’ve never even tried keto for a month+ so why would we listen to you? Keto is great for staying lean and keeping muscle. And you adapt and your training isn’t effected once you adapt.

i have been keto for a year and ive practically doubled my muscle mass, i have lost fat and gained muscle no problem, its so easy long term and proven to be the most long term acceptible diet, the only time people cant commit to is it because they like the taste of things, i have cheats every few months, but ive helped people start keto and then they last a few weeks and then eat fast food souly for the fact that they enjoy the taste, after a few weeks its easy, we get plenty of fibre in a keto diet, i have no idea where it comes from, theres fibre in all sorts of vegetables and nuts and evn avocado, a staple of the keto diet. theres also no loss of energy on keto, it changes our need for glucose as a fuel source to ketons, only the first couple weeks where your just deprived of glucose and not producing and using ketones when it needs the energy. im not trying to hate on you or anything, not that youll likely see this comment, but plenty of people maintain and gain muscle, take thomas delaur for example, and im not talking about loosing the fat and showing the muscles you had underneath, im talking gaining more and bigger muscles.